The present invention relates to a slide switch in which as a knob is slid, terminals are connected electrically, and particularly to a slide switch which causes an operator to recognize that the terminals are electrically connected more effectively than in a case that a knob is abutted against an abutting part.
Further, the invention relates to a slide switch and a push slide switch, in which as a knob is slid, terminals are connected electrically, and particularly to a slide switch and a push slide switch, in which connection states of more terminals than terminals in the related case can be switched by a slide operation of the knob.
Heretofore, a push slide switch in which as a knob is slid, terminals are connected electrically, has been known. An example of this type of push slide switch has been disclosed in JP-A-2001-229781.
A push slide switch described in JP-A-2001-229781 is so constituted that: as a knob is slid, a coil spring is compressed; and as an operator releases the knob, the knob returns to a neutral position (home position) by the restoring force of the coil spring. Namely, in the push slide switch described in JP-A-2001-229781, as the knob is slide, the force necessary for operation of the knob increases gradually, and when terminals are electrically connected, the force necessary for operation of the knob does not change greatly. Therefore, the operator cannot recognize, by the change of the force necessary for operation of the knob, that the terminals have been electrically connected.
Therefore, in the related arts, when the terminals have been electrically connected, the knob is directly or indirectly abutted against an abutting part so that the operator can recognize that the terminals have been electrically connected. Namely, in the related arts, by other methods than the method in which the knob is directly or indirectly abutted against the abutting part, the operator cannot recognize that the terminals have been electrically connected.
Further, in the push slide switch described in JP-A-2001-229781, as the knob is slid from the neutral position (home position) to the right side, one terminals are electrically connected, and as the knob is slid from the neutral position (home position) to the left side, the other terminals are electrically connected. Namely, in the push slide switch described in JP-A-2001-229781, a state in which the knob is arranged in the neutral position (home position) and the terminals are not electrically connected, a state in which the knob is slid from the neutral position (home position) to the right side, and one terminals are electrically connected, and a state in which the knob is slid from the neutral position (home position) to the left side, and the other terminals are electrically connected are switched by the slide operation of the knob.
Namely, in the push slide switch described in JP-A-2001-229781, there are three connection states of the terminals, which can be switched by the slide operation of the knob, but four or more connection states of the terminals cannot be switched by the slide operation of the knob.    Patent Reference 1: JP-A-2001-229781